<p>I have an undergraduate degree in history from a top 20 university with a minor in geology and a reputable master's degree in history. My original goal was a PhD in history and then academia, but more and more I have realized that it is not the right track for me, and I have become increasingly interested (again) in my undergraduate minor. Partly this is because I am a hands on individual and prefer field research to the library, and partly this is because I would like at least some job flexibility. </p>
<p>At this point, I'd like to acquire a master's in geology or environmental science and work in marine science. I am not sure, however, about the best path to take to get to that point. The courses required for my minor were basic science courses (introductory biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physical geology, oceanography, historical geology), and I'm highly skeptical that background is sufficient for any MS programs. On the other hand, I'm unable/unwilling to take on the debt for a second bachelor's degree.</p>
<p>Any input? I assume that I am not the only person to want to shift from the humanities to the sciences, but I've found little useful advice thus far.</p>
<p>I am not sure- but perhaps there are more ph.d programs in the sciences than masters programs- I don’t really know of anyone who has gotten their masters in anything but a humanities type field ( or engineering/business etc)</p>
<p>I expect you could apply to ph.d programs, but it may depend on how long it has been since you took o-chem, calc etc.</p>
<p>I have a B.A. in history and PhD in biochem and molecular biology. In between I found it necessary to get a BS in biochemistry. However, I was not required to repeat the humanities and social sciences requirements that would normally have been required for the BS, so it did not take anywhere near 4 years. You are in better shape, since your minor was a science field; mine was a humanities field, so I had met few of the elementary science requirements, and still had most of the math to get out of the way.</p>
<p>Check around and see what would be required to get another bachelor’s degree. It might not require as much time or money as you think it will. Keep in mind that prerequisites for some of the advanced courses might not be offered every semester, and that could cost you a semester or two without careful planning.</p>
<p>As an alumnus of a top 20 school, you should have access to career counseling services. perhaps a session or two with a graduate school advisor would be useful.</p>
<p>I think there are lots of environmental masters programs, including marine-oriented ones. Not so sure about geology, per se, or oceanography. I would guess it would be infinitely easier to qualify for a terminal masters program in some environmental science area than to develop a credible PhD application in geology or anything related to it.</p>
<p>The other thing that would be more aggressive would be to do something like get a law degree or an MPA or MBA, and to focus on environmental stuff there, so that you could get a job in that world other than as a technician. One of my best childhood friends was a college history major who switched to geology late in his college career. He got his geology degree, but only with a lot of forbearance and goodwill by the department. Then he went to law school, and spent a decade doing mostly litigation, some of it environment-related. Finally, after a couple of early midlife crises, a divorce, a remarriage, and several moves across long distances (and some interesting short-term jobs, like being an Outward Bound team leader), he wound up with a non-legal job at a major environmental group, and ultimately was its Director of Oceans and Fisheries. Anyway, the point is that sometimes you can move forward aggressively and bend in the direction you want to go, rather than stepping back and starting over.</p>
<p>I don’t think you would need to get another second bachelor’s degree. Rather, you will need to “level up.” That means taking the classes that your grad program requires of their undergrad applicants. Contact the grad programs you are interested in and ask them about it. I’ve known many people who’ve switched fields and done just that, including my spouse. </p>
<p>Getting the second bachelors, as midmo suggests, will keep your student loans deferred and will allow you to take out more since you would be matriculated.</p>
<p>My older D graduated from Colgate with an English degree. She decided to pursue environmental science and also took the second bachelor’s route. She is now applying to grad school.</p>
<p>Since you have a lot of science and geology courses already, I think PMK’s advice makes a lot of sense. As for getting a masters in geology, I know someone who got one from USC. She was funded and went on to a long career in the oil biz. She was a food science major who became tired of being a dietician. She did get a second bachelors degree, but then she had no geology classes the first time through like you have.</p>
<p>I also agree with pmk. I know someone who just finished a PhD in molecular biology from a very famous university - who had not taken bio since 10th grade. He had majored in computer science and then worked in biotech for a few years, so he had some relevant exposure to his new field but no undergrad coursework. I also know someone who majored in math, worked as a computer programmer, then read James Michener’s book “Hawaii” and fell in love with geology after reading about the formation of the islands. She went off to get a PhD in geology and has been working as a researcher for 20 years. </p>
<p>I think you need to learn enough to get a reasonable score on the GRE, and also have other promising things going for you. It won’t work for all grad programs, but it will work for some.</p>
<p>… This is done all the time. I graduated with a BFA, then (surprise, surprise) decided to get my MBA. Then, many years later, I decided I really wanted to become a teacher, so I pursued an MAT. The graduate degrees were much simpler than getting extra BA degrees. But my stumbling block was the getting teacher certification. So I had to fill in all the basic courses I never got, like US History, Biology, Math, and Poli Sci. I ended up taking all those extra courses at our local community college.</p>
<p>Glover, a masters is considered the best degree for most geology jobs. My H hires some BS grads but MS is what’s preferred. PhD is not an introductory degree in his business. That said, you have too few geology courses to be directly admitted to a MS program in geology. Since many classes are sequential, you are looking at 1 1/2 or 2 years of classes, although maybe not full time. Did you take physics?<br>
Moving into the EnviroSci side gives you more flexibility and fewer hard requirements, though your dream job in Marine Science may not be easily available…</p>
<p>Geology is actually one of the simplest transitions to make as a non-major wanting to do grad school, simply because so many people discover it late in their academic careers. I’m currently working on a Ph.D. in geology, and I am also currently the only person in my lab who graduated with a traditional geology degree. Most of the other folks in my particular area are some combination of chemist, engineer, or marine scientist, but my department is full of people with degrees ranging from math to physics to studio art. Leverage the geology courses you’ve taken, and catch up on math/chemistry/physics at community college if you have to.</p>
<p>A master’s a quite a reasonable degree if you’re interested in geology, particularly if you’d like to go the industry direction (oil, environmental consulting). Government agencies hire a decent number of master’s students as well.</p>